Roasted figs with goat cheese and truffle honey

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Photo: Lynne Hemer (Cook and Be Merry)

When I was planning the menu for this year's Trufflepalooza, I worked hard to keep the 16 dishes in balance. Truffles work best against gentle backgrounds, so there's always a lot of white starch: rice, pasta, potatoes. Truffles also pair well with meat and eggs. Fruits and vegetables have proved more of a challenge.

Trufflepalooza happens every year at the end of July during black summer truffle season. In southern California that also happens to coincide with fresh fig season. Two days before the party my friends at the California Fig Advisory Board sent me a few flats of ultra-ripe Mission figs, to which I decided to do as little as possible. We split them in two, topped them with a clump of goat cheese, ran them under the broiler, then drizzled them with truffle honey. A one-bite treat, sticky and musky, salty and sweet.

Serve these broiled figs with cold Prosecco or champagne as a quick starter for your next dinner party. I'm in love with Sabatino Tartufi's truffle honey - it gives cheese a dusky glow.

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Roasted figs with goat cheese and truffle honey

by Erika Kerekes August-16-2011

Broiling the figs brings out their sweetness. A drizzle of truffle honey takes these one-bite appetizers to the next level.

Ingredients

• 12 ripe Mission figs, halved
• 4-6 ounces fresh goat cheese
• approximately 1 Tbsp truffle honey
• pinch of sea salt or truffle salt (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.Press a clump of goat cheese into the center of each fig half. Line up the figs on the baking sheet. Broil them about 5 inches from the heat for 1-3 minutes, until the goat cheese is browned and the figs are softened and juicy. Watch them carefully so the cheese doesn't burn.Carefully move the roasted figs to a serving tray, then drizzle with the truffle honey and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 3 mins Total time: 13 mins Yield: 24 pieces

Postcard from Vermont: Woodstock

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Afternoon snack at The Daily Grind in Woodstock, Vermont: decaf espresso (so I can sleep tonight) with house-made cinnamon sugar donut and pistachio muffin. I can't eat both, but the muffin was so beautiful I had to buy it and taste a corner. Notice that the muffin glows slightly green. I asked the owner and she admitted to a touch of food coloring. Even so, it was delicious.

Postcard from Vermont: Mendon

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Early Melba apples, bracingly tart albeit a little mealy, at the Mendon Mountain Orchards store, Mendon, Vermont (just south of Rutland). They also sell homemade fruit pies of all varieties.

Postcard from Vermont: Weston

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The cheese cooler, stocked with local products, at the Vermont Cheese Emporium in Weston, Vermont. It's smaller and less migraine-inducing than the Vermont Country Store across the street. The house-made fudge is sensational, too.

Cold zucchini soup with Greek yogurt

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Today I'm getting ready for heat and humidity. I'm heading from coastal southern California, where we've been stuck in cool, damp "June gloom" most of the summer, back to the East coast, where August is sweaty and sticky and just plain miserable. And I'm bringing this cold zucchini soup recipe with me.

Cold soup is always refreshing, and it's zucchini season for sure. The fresh mint and lemon combine with the acid in the yogurt to make this cold, creamy soup the perfect dish for the dog days of summer.

Note: If you don't yet own an immersion blender, what are you waiting for? I've had mine 15 years and use it just about daily. Can't imagine making soup without one. It's an indispensable partner in the kitchen.

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Cold zucchini soup with Greek yogurt and mint

by Erika Kerekes August-12-2011

A few minutes in the pot, a whizz with the stick blender and a few hours in the refrigerator: That's all it takes to whip up this cold, creamy, ultra-refreshing summer soup.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 8 medium zucchini, sliced thin
• 3 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (full-fat, low-fat or nonfat)
• juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the green onions and saute until softened - don't let the onions brown. Add the sliced zucchini, sprinkle with a little salt, and continue cooking for a few minutes to let the zucchini soften.Add the stock or water and bring the pot to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 7-10 minutes, just until the vegetables are soft. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.When the soup is cool, add the fresh mint and the yogurt and blend well in the pot with an immersion blender. It will take a few minutes for the soup to get really smooth: Be patient. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup in batches to a countertop blender for this step.)Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the soup at least 3 hours or overnight. Taste before serving - you may need to season it again once it's really cold. Serve at noon on the hottest day of the summer.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 6-8 servings